A New Jersey chef who three years ago described "overwhelming" personal debt when he was featured on Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares" show jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River.

The body of 39-year-old Joseph Cerniglia, whose restaurant experienced a renewal since the show, was found floating in the river on Friday. The New York City medical examiner's office ruled it a suicide, agency spokeswoman Grace Burgess said.

Cerniglia owned Campania in Fair Lawn, N.J., about 25 miles west of Manhattan, which he bought in 2006. In 2007, the debt-ridden Italian restaurant was featured on Ramsay's show.